Sun, Night, and Obsidian
by Vega Cataline
Summary: A Spirit World agent in the Makai charged with recovering missing artifacts is killed and his latest find, a weapon of tremendous power, stolen. Yusuke and the gang are called in to find the weapon and capture the murderers. However not all runs smoothly.
1. In Which the Theft Occurs

So, here goes. This is my second attempt at YYH fanfiction and the first of (hopefully) many chapters to follow. Be nice, leave reviews!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

A pair of deep-blue eyes peered through the darkness of the room, settling on an intricately carved box resting in the center of a large bureau. Sliding soundlessly across the room, the owner of the eyes reached for the box. It was a fine-grained mahogany piece, heavily inlaid with gold and precious jewels, but she desired only what it held inside. Her quick eyes noted the lock affixed to the front and she grinned. A simple lock couldn't keep her away! With her small sharp claws, she swiftly picked the lock, inwardly wincing at the slight 'click' that echoed in the quiet room. She paused, dark furred, sensitive ears monitoring her surroundings. Certain then that the occupant of the room had not stirred, she carefully pushed back the lid. Her eyes lit up.

"Solan, look…" Her whisper was barely a breath, but her partner heard and came silently to her side. Deep-blue and golden eyes now took in the object laid carefully in the velvet interior of the box. A small dagger and sheath. The sheath was a masterpiece of smith work, a handsome silver base with shimmering gold filigree, sparkling with the fire of the precious stones set in the metal. The dagger itself couldn't have been more different, the blade a night-devouring black, some powerful metal of the ancient Makai, the hilt a dull gray steel wrapped in rough leather, serviceable and plain.

A soft moan emanating from the sleeper in the bed interrupted the thieves' appreciation of their quarry. The male gave a low growl, "Let's go, Nox. Grab it."

The smaller female nodded and without a word slipped the dagger into its sheath and slid the weapon into the numerous folds of her robes. Both slipped back across the room, seeming almost to glide above the floor in the delicateness of their movements. A crack of the door, a slight glow from the gentle hallway candlelight into the room, and the two thieves had disappeared.

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"Mmmph, go 'way Mom…" Yusuke Urameshi mumbled into his pillow as he felt himself being shaken awake. "It's not time to get up yet!"

"Yusuke," a voice spoke above him, "Wake up! This is important!"

Slowly it penetrated the Spirit Detective's bleary mind that this was not his mother's voice. But he knew it from somewhere. His sleep-filled brain just wouldn't respond with an answer. Groaning, he rolled over and opened his eyes. Lively pink eyes framed by turquoise hair filled his vision. He sat up straight, startled by the unexpected sight.

"Botan!"

"Correct the first time, Yusuke!" the cheery grim-reaper chirped, "But you have to get up and get dressed quickly. Koenma sent me to bring you and the rest of the team to the Rekai. Something big has happened!"

"Wait a minute, slow down! How'd you get in here? What exactly does 'something big' mean? And why in the middle of the night?"

"No time for questions now Yusuke. Koenma will explain everything later. Now hurry up, Kuwabara and the rest are already there!"

Grumbling, Yusuke did as she urged, muttering something that sounded to Botan's ears suspiciously like 'damned diaper-wearing baby.'

Yusuke was still rubbing his eyes when he and Botan landed at Koenma's palace in the Rekai. The palace was quiet at this time in the early morning, free from the shuffle of papers, the chatter of ogres, and the squeaky voice of its temper-tantrum prone ruler. Said ruler was pacing on top of his desk impatiently, sucking furiously on his ever-present pacifier.

"Yusuke!" he explained as he caught sight of the tardy Spirit Detective. "Where have you been?"

"Sleeping," came the none too polite reply, "Like most normal people at this hour."

"What, are you putting yourself on the idiot's level?" asked Hiei, smirking and pointing to a snoring Kuwabara, and earning himself a growl from the team leader.

"Now boys!" interjected Botan, "Stop fighting and listen to Koenma. He is your boss after all! One of you wake Kuwabara up so we can continue with the briefing."

"Gladly," Hiei responded, reaching for the hilt of his katana.

"Gently!" Botan interrupted his action. "Kurama?" she asked with a sigh.

Kurama reached over to shake the orange haired human and Yusuke turned back to Koenma, "So what's the big deal?"

"The big deal," said Koenma, "is the murder of one of the Spirit World's most valuable employees!"

"Did you get your files mixed up, boss? I'm still here!" Yusuke replied impudently.

"Yusuke! Be serious for once! This is important!" Koenma pressed a green button on the control panel on his desk and the screen in front of it lit up. The face of a male demon appeared on the screen, humanoid except for the lavender colored eyes and pointed ears.

"Atsaku Bolivard," Koenma explained, "Curator of Spirit World artifacts in the Makai. He was responsible for procuring valuable Rekai artifacts that had been lost to the Demon World and guarding them from theft until they could be safely transferred to the vault in this world.

"His latest find – the Obsidian Dagger," Koenma pressed the button again and the image shifted. Displayed on the screen was a dagger alongside its sheath. The dagger's plain black blade and leather-wrapped hilt contrasted sharply with the bejeweled and filigreed beauty of the silver sheath. "Probably the most powerful artifact Atsaku had yet laid hands on."

"What's so special about it?" piped up Kuwabara, "It just looks like some fancy knife to me."

"Well for starters, the blade is made from obsidian, the frozen breath of dark dragons," snarled Hiei in impatience with the human, "Blades like that are only made in the shadowed depths of the Makai. They're like living stone; they seek the life's breath of any one they cut."

"Quite right, Hiei," Koenma continued, "And this particular dagger has some even more peculiar qualities. It first surfaced as a gift for my father from a small-time thief and assassin in exchange for a lenient sentence. We never did find out its origin; the thief was killed within a month of his release. It was then kept in the royal vault until it was stolen during an inventory. Efforts were made to restore it to the Rekai, but they had to be abandoned during the first Demon Wars. In the chaos, the dagger reappeared once or twice, but never long enough for us to reclaim it and after the struggle was over, all traces of it had been effectively erased. Until Atsaku Bolivard came along. We hired him in spite of his previous record because he was damn good at what he did, regardless that most of it had been illegal. He'd been on the job close to three years when he came across tracks of the Obsidian Dagger. He had contacted us about a week ago to let us know he was very close to laying hands on it and he just informed us two days ago to pick it up at midnight this night. Unfortunately, by the time our agents arrived, Atsaku was dead and the dagger gone

"However, the agents did find a file in his room, a compilation of all known information about the dagger. You'll have to be careful Yusuke, this dagger is no playtoy! Obsidian from the depths of Makai is a powerful stone in itself without enhancement and if Atsaku's records the demon mages who crafted this dagger wove their ancient runes into the very stone. The runes weave a powerful spell allowing the dagger to suck the living soul out of whomever it cuts, even if the cut is only a prick. The soul can be stored in the dagger but it is at the mercy of whoever holds the blade. On top of that, the soul cannot be returned to the body after four days have passed. After that, if the soul is released, it will simply drift into death. Do you understand? You don't want to get cut by this weapon!"

Yusuke gave the infant ruler an exasperated look, resembling a child being scolded by its parents for the millionth time. "Yeah, yeah I get it. You think I'd be dumb enough to get myself cut by this thing?"

"Well," put in Kurama softly, "You did almost let Jin hit you with his Tornado Fist during the Dark Tournament and nearly got both of you killed."

"That was a long time ago," Yusuke answered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Yeah," muttered Hiei, "All of four months ago."

"So, what leads do we have for recovering this Obsidian Dagger?" Yusuke continued, ignoring the fire demon.

"I was hoping you'd ask," Koenma replied, pressing the button on his desk yet again. This time, two pictures appeared on the screen, one male, one female. The male's blonde hair fell in artful disarray, framing sky blue eyes, and parting to allow two golden-furred ears to be seen on top of his head. The female had brushed back her dark hair behind her shoulders but several strands resisted, falling across her forehead and covering one deep blue eye. Like the male, two furred ears poked out on top of her head, but like her hair, hers were dark colored. Both demons were kitsunes.

"I was hoping you'd recognize them, Kurama," said Koenma.

Parting A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Lemme know and leave a review!!!


	2. In Which We Learn About Our Thieves

Note: Wow, definitely took me long enough to update this. Hopefully it won't in the future. Anyways, I apologize for the delay. More coming soon – enjoy!

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

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The rest of the group gathered in Koenma's office turned to stare at Kurama who was staring at the two pictures on the screen with a rather startled look on his face.

"It's been a long time," he said softly.

Yusuke broke the silence, "Well, who are they?"

"Solan and Nox," continued Koenma, "Quite possibly the most notorious partnership of thieves in the Makai. Both kitsune and both equally dangerous. They've been high on the Spirit World's most wanted for some time but this latest crime pushes them to the top. Not much is available on either one in Rekai records, however I think Kurama can fill you in a bit further on your hike." The infant ruler uttered this last statement in a somewhat shrewd tone.

Yususke's ears pricked up at the mention of the word "hike." "Wait a minute now, Koenma. What's this about a hike? I mean, I'm all for kicking a couple of murdering thieves' asses, even this early in the morning, but how far are we talking here?"

"Oh not too far, not far at all. Botan will show you where you're going. Go on, can't you see the piles of paperwork I have to finish?"

"Oh! And Yusuke?" the toddler added absentmindedly as he started flipping through papers, "We have reason to believe that these two are involved in something more than a simple robbery gone awry. I need them brought back alive."

Yusuke grumbled as he headed to follow the ferry girl. Koenma couldn't quite hear what he said but it sounded suspiciously like something about "dirty diapers."

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The few rays of sun that managed to pry their way through the perpetual gray cloud cover cast a sickly yellow light on the huge fortress. Protruding from the forest like some massive gray wart, the castle seemed almost as gnarled and twisted as some of the ancient trees that surrounded it. One lone tower broke free from the warped convolutions of the main building, soaring nearly to the low, ever present thick clouds.

In the top room of this tower stood a demon, his back to the sole window. Looking in at him from this angle, everything about him seemed to be made entirely of black. A long, heavy, black cloak fell from his shoulders to lightly graze the floor, and his black hair hung long enough to almost be a second cloak.

From the front however, one could see that his coat was lined with red satin, crimson, the color of blood, the same color as the eyes that gleamed cunningly from his unnaturally pale face. A look at his face told the discerning viewer that he had once been handsome, but those good looks were marred by the hideous scarring, as if from some terrible burn, that covered most of the lower right side of his face, which when he smiled, a rare occurrence, left him with a disturbing half- smirk.

He stood, dispassionately, until the scraping of claws at the stone windowsill reached his ears. He turned to watch an ugly flying creature land awkwardly on the ledge. The demon creature's bulbous head was too big for its small body. Its ragged, leathery wings flapped heavily and its three eyes bulged grotesquely from its face, rolling as its tiny, horny beak clicked. The man crossed the room towards the creature, taking from around its neck a leather collar to which was attached a small case. Only a flicker of his eyes betrayed any disgust he might have felt in touching the creature. Turning away from it, he slipped a small piece of parchment from the case. Scanning the writing on it, the unsettling half-smirk appeared on his face. He pushed it into a pocket on the inside of his cape and his hand emerged holding a small piece of dried meat. He proffered it to the creature, who took it from his hand with its beak. The man patted the creature's misshapen head as it swallowed the treat.

"Very good, Frollo, very good," he whispered, "Go on now, rest. I'll need you in time."

The creature emitted a gurgling noise and made its ungainly way back into the air, dropping like a stone for several feet before its wings found the current. The man remained staring out the window, the half-smirk still on his face.

"Very good, Koenma, sending out the Rekai Tantei. Following my plan exactly. Genius of you, especially since you have no idea. Very good"

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Meanwhile, in a nearby part of the Makai, the sun was shining down quite brightly on five sweating hikers. The terrain was mountainous here, with thick forest covering the slopes, and the path was, for all practical purposes, nonexistent. Barely the shadow of what had once been a cart road, now overgrown with lush vegetation and pierced with the roaming roots of trees.

"So, tell me again why we're hiking five miles?" asked Yusuke in an ever so slightly annoyed tone.

"This is the fifteenth time, Urameshi. Surely you understand it. Even the baka gets it by now," interjected Hiei, gesturing to Kuwabara as he spoke (as if the gesture was necessary).

"No. I do get it. It's just that every time I laugh it makes this 'little walk' seem that much shorter. Humor me."

"It's your turn, Kurama," Botan, ever perky, chirped from the front where she lead the way sitting on her floating oar. The fox demon smiled and obliged.

"Solan and Nox are not your everyday thieves, Yusuke. They have much spirit energy at their disposal. They've placed a barrier powered by that spirit energy in a huge circle with a five mile radius from the center, their hideout. Any kind of teleportation or opening from the Spirit world into the Makai within this boundary sets off alarms. However, ordinary comings and goings do nothing, otherwise the system would be set off left and right by the movement of forest animals, villagers and such like. So, we walk the five miles in."

"And tell me again exactly how Koenma knows that this is where two, apparently very rich to judge by all the cases they're implicated in, thieves, are staying? Shouldn't they be living lavishly in the middle of some great Makai metropolis?"

"Koenma doesn't know for sure that this _is _where they are. But he has had Rekai agents on their case for years now, and this spot has popped up more and more often." Kurama shrugged, "It's the type of place I would have chosen in my days as Youko. It seems likely that Nox would do the same."

"And that's because she was your student, right?" piped up Kuwabara from the rear where he was lagging.

"Very good, Kuwabara!" Botan interrupted, "We'll make you into a teacher's pet yet. Won't Yukina be proud!"

The slightly dense human actually had a look of pride on his face for a moment, but he quickly dropped it, slightly perplexed, when Hiei's angry glare fell on him. Kurama went on. "Yes, I taught her everything she knows of thievery. We made a good pair for a while, but after a number of years we split up. Too many differences of opinion, I suppose. I later heard that she had taken up with a kitsune assassin by the name of Solan.She taught him the art of thieving; he taught her the art of death. Solan and Nox – I thought it quite amusing that two with those names should end up partners. Make no mistake, Nox is the more skillful of the two. Solan is a good thief, but not the best. Nox, however, could steal the shirt of your back while you watched and you'd never know until you felt a draft. And she could kill you so deftly that you wouldn't know you were dead until Botan took your soul by the hand."

"No one's that good," Yusuke responded, disbelieving.

Kurama cocked his eyebrows and slipped his hands into his pockets. "One of the cardinal rules of fighting – and one you seem intent on breaking every time – don't underestimate your opponent."

Yusuke was interrupted in his eye-rolling by Botan's exclamation. The group had come to a break in the tree cover on the side of a mountain. From here they could see the top of the next mountain in front of them, a stony protuberance jutting like a short blade from the wood. It was to this that Botan was pointing.

"That's your target, boys!" she exclaimed, "And this is where I leave you. The same portal will be open to the Spirit World when you're done. Just drag 'em back there!"

"Can't we get one opened closer?" complained Yusuke and Kuwabara together.

"Sorry you two. No can do. Too much paperwork to open a new portal when a perfectly good one's already there. Get a good workout! See you later. Good luck!"

With that, the ferry girl headed back the way she had come, leaving the four boys to finish the mission.

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That's it for now! Chapter 3 to follow soon – reviews may help my speed (hint hint )!


	3. In Which the Fight Begins

Note: Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! This would have been updated sooner had it not been for the numerous internet problems I've had lately what with switching over from AOL to wireless. That aside, chapter 3 is here and chapter 4 has actually been written already and should be up in the next couple of days. Leave me another review and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Nox leaned back gently against the mossy bark of an old tree, one leg curled under her, the toes of the other trailing in the cool water of a mountain stream bubbling merrily on its way in front of her. She sighed softly and smiled to herself. This place always calmed her. Sure, she loved the excitement and the adrenaline rush that always accompanied a major "job" but invariably, she felt the need to wash it away, clear her head. She wondered where Solan was. Probably hunting up something for dinner. He took her absences with characteristic indulgence, preferring action rather than reflection for his part.

But here, it was quiet except for the chirping of birds and the whisper of the stream. Nox closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the mountain air. Immediately her eyes flashed back open as she jumped to her feet. The birds cheeped, irritated at being disturbed by her sudden movement, but Nox didn't notice. There was a smell on the wind that she didn't like, that shouldn't be there. The scent of humans.

Moments later, the four hikers arrived in a natural clearing surrounding the rock outcrop Botan had pointed out to them some time ago. Kuwabara and Yusuke were breating heavily and even Hiei was sweating a bit from the steep climb through the wood. Only Kurama seemed little affected by the morning's exertions.

"Finally!" Kuwabara exclaimed as he collapsed to the ground in front of the opening of the cave, "We're here!"

"Shut up!" whispered Hiei harshly, "Do you want to announce our arrival to the entire forest?"  
"I wouldn't worry about that, Hiei," Kurama put in, "The breeze has been blowing away from us for some time now. If they haven't heard Kuwabara, they've certainly scented our approach."

Kuwabara suddenly stiffened on the ground and jumped to his feet. "Guys," he said in a harsh whisper, "There's someone here. My spirit sense is tingling."

As if on cue, a laugh danced through the clearing, echoing in some spirit-aided fashion off the surrounding trees so that it was impossible to get a fix on its origin. "It appears that the red-headed buffoon is not so stupid as he appears!" said the owner of the laugh with a wry tone of voice. "What an odd group of trespassers has found their way to my home."

"Nox?" called Kurama, "Is that you?"

"Oh!" the voice replied, "So you know my name, even?"

"Yeah we know your name fox lady, and we know what you did! So just come out here and face us so we can get this over with!" butted in Yusuke.

The voice was silent for a moment. From where she was concealed behind an ancient massive oak tree, Nox considered. Their spirit energies signaled nothing she couldn't handle – provided the fight was one on one. But she didn't want to get into a four-ring circus without Solan and nothing could guarantee against that. On the other hand, she couldn't leave the cave with the dagger inside undefended and her echoing trick was only going to work so long. She could feel one of the spirit energies searching her out from where she remained hidden in the tree line. Low as she kept her own energy, it was bound to find her sooner rather than later. The odd thing was, the searching energy felt familiar, as if she'd met it before and it seemed to know what it was looking for. But she was absolutely certain that she'd never met any of these fighters before in her life. She shook her head. Mind made up, she stepped out from her cover into the clearing.

Kurama had to force himself not to step backward or let his eyes open wider. It was the same Nox he had last seen so many years ago. The same jet black hair, night blue eyes and porcelain skin. The same loose white robes she had always favored.

"Since you know my name, trespassers," Nox opened simply as she smiled, "I must know yours. I fight no one anonymously."

Yusuke gritted his teeth, frustrated by the spirit fox's insistence on formalities. "I'm Yusuke Urameshi, Spirit Detective," he growled, The red-headed idiot is Kuwabara; Hiei is the short one and rose boy over there is Kur–"

"Suiichi Minamoto," put in Kurama quickly, bowing slightly. Hiei shot Kurama a quizzical look at this but said nothing.

Yusuke didn't notice. "We want the Obsidian Dagger, and your presence in front of Koenma."

Nox bared her teeth at the second request, "The first we might have been able to bargain for Spirit Detective, but the second I'm afraid we can reach no agreement on."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to duke it out then," said Yusuke, grinning now that it appeared action was imminent.

"If you can catch me."

"Lady, do you know just how many times I've heard that line?"

"Have you ever fought a kitsune?"

Yusuke merely growled, leapt at her – and put his fist through air.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Do you know how many times we've seen you do that?" he asked sarcastically.

Yusuke would have answered but Nox's voice stopped him. It came out of the forest again. "You came to me Spirit Detective. You'll have to fight me in my playground."

Undaunted by the newly sinister look of the forest, Yusuke strode in without a backward look at his friends. Almost immediately, the clearing seemed to disappear behind him. He stopped. Clenching his fists at his side, he peered through the gloom around him. A laugh was all he heard and a slight rush of air behind him. He barely had time to cloth his arm in spirit energy and fling it up to counter the two double-edged blades coming at his throat.

"Quick reflexes," observed Nox as she danced away, her white robes shimmering oddly.

"It helps if you don't laugh."

He lunged.

She dodged.

They became a blur of motion flitting from ground to branch to branch to tree trunk and back to ground. Fists and feet cut the air furiously. Huge branches slammed to the ground as Nox's blades sliced into them, missing Yusuke by only centimeters. After a few minutes even he was sweating but still unwilling to use his spirit gun, Koenma's "bring them back alive" echoing in his head. Inwardly cursing the toddler, he swung again at the elusive fox. And again hit nothing but air. His eyes searched from side to side, seeking a glimpse of her white clothing. His senses strained to catch a wisp of her spirit energy. Nothing.

It was a blow from behind that told him where she was. He was whipped around by its force and slammed backwards against a huge boulder half buried in the ground.

Bleary headed from the shock, he looked up to see Nox before him and heard her whisper, "Midnight's vines." Before he could move, black vines erupted from the ground, wrapped around his ankles and swarmed their way up his legs around the rest of his body.

"Looks like you're in a bit of a bind, Detective."

Yusuke narrowed his eyes as he strained against the vines. "You wish. Just wait till I unravel these!"

The spirit fox chuckled. "Keep trying, but while I've got you here, tell me: why does Koenma wish to see Solan and I? Surely if this was just about the Obsidian Dagger he wouldn't care whether or not you killed us."

"Who says I'm not trying to kill you?"

"Your self-defeating reluctance to use your spirit energy for one."

"You and your partner killed one of Koenma's agents. Bolivard. The guy who recovered the Obsidian Dagger."

Nox's eyes widened as she jerked her head back in surprise. "We did no such thing!"

"Nice try, fox lady, but that old play acting won't work on me!" Taking advantage of Nox's momentary confusion, Yusuke made a final effort against the entangling midnight vines. With a yell of effort, he forcefully tore them from the ground. As their roots left the soil, he felt them wilt and fall off his body. Taking a handful he hurled them at the bewildered fox spirit, sending his own spirit energy into them. The vines twined this time about their summoner who yelped helplessly as they wound like black snakes about her limbs. _"Well, _this_ is highly undignified!" _she thought as she peered angrily up at Yusuke from the ground. _"Only one thing for it…"_

"You know, it's always the same," he said with mock despair, "You demons get to the crucial point and you can never resist ruining it by talking." He bent down to pick up the bundle of black vines and fox demon.

Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara were waiting patiently in the clearing. Well, Kurama was waiting patiently. Hiei's foot kept up a brisk staccato against the ground and his scowl implied a none too tolerant attitude. Kuwabara kept up a constant stream of babbling that the two demons chose to ignore. That is until he asked: "Hey Kurama, why'd you tell her your name was Suiichi? I thought you knew her."

Hiei's foot abruptly stopped as he looked at Kurama, waiting for an answer, surprised the stupid ningen had noticed the fox demon's switch of names.

Kurama's quick mind raced to find a plausible answer because to tell the truth, he wasn't sure himself. The normally logical red-head had succumbed to an impulse triggered by something other than his brain. He opened his mouth to respond but was saved from doing so by the eruption of a brilliant light from the forest. All three fighters flung up their arms to shield their eyes.

The light evaporated as suddenly as it had arose and was followed by a yell, "God damned fox!"

"What the hell happened?" growled Hiei.

Kurama grinned, inwardly pleased at the distraction, "She momentarily blinded him and transformed into her spirit fox form. And from the sound of Yusuke's voice, she probably bit him too."

"How do you know she changed forms without seeing it?" Kuwabara interrupted.

"The change in energy is unmistakable."

"Hn," Hiei replied, "He just better hurry it up. This is beginning to get boring. And aren't there two we're supposed to be fighting?"

Yusuke cast about him for a sight of the elusive demon. For a sight of anything, really. His eyes were wide open and he couldn't see a thing. From over to the right he heard Nox's voice.

"Starlight, star bright, let's see how well _you _fight at night!"

Enraged, the Spirit Detective sprang to his right but, like before, his fist connected only with the thick forest air. "Where _are_ you? Stop playing games! What have you done to my eyes?"  
This time Nox's voice came from his left. "Poor Spirit Detective! Don't worry! My Moon Beam will only blind temporarily. But it will be long enough to beat you senseless!"

Kurama had been right. Trapped by her own vines, Nox had managed to get one hand free. As the Spirit Detective leaned down to pick her up, she had whispered the command to release the Moon Beam. The name was somewhat of a misnomer actually. A light a thousand times brighter than any moon beam had leapt from her free hand straight into the human teenager's face. Reacting quickly, Nox had leapt into the form of a spirit fox, bounding free of the vines before they could adjust to her changed shape. For good measure, she had delivered a deep bite to the blinded boy's hand before shifting back to her humanoid state. She could see the blood dripping from the wound though Yusuke could see nothing around him. Without another word, she dropped from the tree branch she had been perched on and sprang at Yusuke.

The detective knew nothing of the attack until her fist connected with the side of his head, her sharp little claws grazing red welts along the side of his cheek. Before he could recover, she was on him again, landing blow after blow. Yusuke's body flew about the forest like a rag doll, alternatively bouncing off tree trunks and Nox's fists. Finally he landed with a sickening thud against the same boulder and drooped to the ground. Feeling woozy, he lifted his head and opened his eyes. He could see again. He grinned. _"Alright!" _he thought as his vision fell on the fox demon standing in front of him, "_Koenma's orders or not, it's time to end this thing with a little spirit energy!"_

"I see you're still feeling cheeky," observed Nox.

"I see you're still too talkative," Yusuke shot back.

Then Nox noticed the small blue glow beginning at the tip of his right index finger. She dropped into a defensive fighting stance. This was going to get ugly.

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Solan bared his teeth in a feral grin as he eyed his prey from where he was crouched behind a fallen tree truck half buried in the soft ground. Brushing a strand of his unruly blonde hair from his face, he sniffed the air. It was filled with the scent of his prey. Being downwind of the unsuspecting two rabbits, he waited patiently as they hopped right towards him, following the fresh growth of clover. He could almost taste their succulent flesh.

Nox made fun of him sometimes, bothering to hunt when he could just as easily purchase their meat from any of the demons in one of the nearby villages. He took it good-naturedly most of the time but he didn't understand how she could not desire the hunt. "Thieving fills that desire," she told him when he asked. Maybe for her. For him, it fed it.

_"Just a little closer…"_ he willed the rabbits. A few more inches and his darting claws could find easy purchase in their jugular veins. But before he could make the fatal move, a resounding boom filled the valley and even the ground shook slightly. The rabbits dashed away into the underbrush, forgotten, as Solan's head shot up and he spun to look up at the mountain top where the cave was and where the sound had come from. That noise could only mean one thing. The Spirit Detective had arrived. Solan took off at a dead run through the trees.

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Parting Note: Hope you all enjoyed! It was a long chapter as a reward for your patience. Like I said, next chapter should be up soon so don't desert me! Leave me a review! Thanks!


	4. In Which Plans Are Begun, Dscvries Made

A/N: Sorry I am so bad at updating, y'all! I'm trying, I promise! This is a bit of a short chappie but some little plot details needed a little chapter all to themselves. Next one up when I get back from the beach week after next  Promise! If I don't, well, may I be smited by the Dragon of Darkness Flame. As always, leave me one!

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Darkness and decay moved slow and sullen in the ruined throne room. In a lower level of the decrepit castle, no windows had been built in the room to allow even the sickly yellow light of the outdoors to enter. He sat in the huge gilded throne at the back of the room, the light entering through the wide open doors lightly illuminating the scars covering his face and giving his blood red eyes a preternatural glow. He was silent, hands resting gently on the wide arms of the throne. Dimly, footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway, moving closer. A torch held by a small bent slave demon appeared at the door. The red-eyed demon gestured and the slave stood aside allowing the larger, dangerous looking demon behind him to enter. As the other approached the throne, the scarred one spoke.

"They fight. Frollo has brought me word." He patted the head of the ragged-winged flying beast who had been perched unnoticed on one of the protuberances of the throne.

"It will be over soon," he continued in his low, monotone voice, "and they will be late in starting back. They will not reach the exit portal without resting for the night."

The other demon grinned as he began to catch on, "You want us to ambush them, sir?"

"Exactly, Gargan. There is an excellent spot for an overnight stay in the forest about halfway down the hidden trail they arrived on. Set up your trap there first and move as may be needed."

"How many men should I take with me, sir?" Gargan asked.

The head demon closed his eyes, thought for a moment and then said, "You will need at least six men but you may take more if Golianth and Titank can carry them and they can be hidden effectively."  
"Only six? Sir, with respect, you are telling me I only need six men to deliver the Spirit Detective and his men?"

The other demon grinned his scarred half-smirk. He reached to the ground beside him, retrieving a brown wooden box with a golden clasp, saying as he did so, "With the help of this, six men are all you'll need."

Gargan's eyes gleamed as he reached for the box. "Use it carefully!" continued the other, "Make certain you do not open it even a crack unless you are sure that all your men are positioned upwind of the target. Otherwise, I shall have to put out an add for a nanny." He smirked again.

The gleam in Gargan's eyes was now tempered by wariness as he clutched the bo tightly. "I will do as you command, sir," he whispered as he left.

Half and hour later, two enormous pterodactyl-like flying demons leapt into the air from the castle's parade grounds bearing fifteen demons, all armed to the teeth, and Gargen, still holding the closed box tightly under his arm.

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Nox had dodged the Spirit Detective's first shot – barely. Leaping to the side with her fox-like reflexes, the blast of spirit energy had obliterated the tree behind her. That was the explosion that caught Solan's attention.

Before her long hair even had time to stop waving from the speed of her movement, Yusuke was on the attack again. Quickly Nox yelled, "Wall of Shadows!" and raised her arms. What resembles black flames erupted from the ground and surrounded the fox demon. The ball of spirit energy hit the flame-like shadows, vibrated for a moment as it attempted to blast them apart and then disappeared into them, as if it had sunk into a pool of mud. The forest was silent as the shadows continued to ripple and Yusuke stared wide-eyed, waiting to see the result of his attack.

A low whine came from the shadows and they began to glow from the inside. Yusuke relaxed his stance and grinned. Obviously his attack was beating up the fox demon who was trapped inside her own shield. _"Koenma will chew me out for not bring her back alive, but oh well! This was worth it," _he thought. Then the glow changed. It disappeared completely and a small pinpoint of light appeared in the shadows then exploded towards Yusuke. The shadows had turned his own attack against him! He had no time to appreciate the irony of his situation, scarely having enough time to throw up his arms to block the beam of spirit energy coming straight at his face.

When the blast stopped, his arms fell and he staggered forward a step. His eyes opened to see Nox opposite him, dropped into a crouching position, panting.

_"Damn it!" _she thought furiously, _"I thought that would at least slow him up a bit. After converting his attack, I can't even raise the shadows again!"_

"Let's try this again, fox!" Yusuke called over, raising his arm, his finger glowing once again.

Nox's mind raced, calling on all her craftiness as a fox demon and as a thief. Assassination was her specialty, not head to head confrontation. But that called for stealth and secrecy – not to mention surprise. Not exactly three things she had at her disposal at the moment. _"I have to find Solan!"_ she concluded, _"Back to the cave! That's where he'll come. He has to have heard what's happening!"_

Yusuke was stretching out his arm, aiming his blast. Nox leapt away again as he shot. Another tree fell casualty to Yusuke's aim and Nox's agility. Shot by shot and dodge by dodge, the fox lead the detective back to the clearing.

The three other team members perked their ears as the explosions of the Spirit Gun got louder and louder.

"She's leading him back this way," Kurama stated.

"Why would she do that?" Hiei shot back, "Does she _want_ to fight all four of us?"

Kurama shrugged his shoulders. The ground shook slightly from a particularly close explosion. The top of a nearby tree disappeared, incinerated by the detective's powerful weapon. As bits of bark and leaves rained down on them, they heard another explosion and Nox shot into the clearing, skidding on her side along the ground.

The dark-furred fox, slowed by expenditure of her power and her energy, hadn't managed to completely dodge the last bullet. As she had leap back and sideways, the blast had clipped the side of her leg, knocking her off balance and sending her crashing through branches and into the clearing.

As Yusuke walked out of the trees, Nox struggled to push herself upright but fell back. Before she could hit the ground, Kurama appeared by her side, slipping an arm under one of hers and helping her to stand up. Just then, Solan burst out of the underbrush and sprang towards where Kurama and Nox were standing, but was stopped short by the needle sharp point of Hiei's katana. Hands held out to his sides, away from the many folds and hidden pockets of his robes, he slowly took a step back, looking not at Hiei, but at Kurama and Nox. He spoke.

"Don't hurt her. I'll give myself up. You can take us in. Just don't hurt her."

Nox tried to protest but she only managed to give breath to a murmured "no."

Solan continued, now looking directly at Kurama, "And as for you, you thrice damned blood traitor, you had best keep one eye over your shoulder for the rest of your days, because when I free myself from that miserable excuse for a Rekai prison, I'm going to hunt you down and you'll beg for death, Kurama!"

Nox's eyes widened at the name. This red-headed human was Kurama? _"That's why his spirit energy felt so familiar. It was his, just altered by a new form!"_ she thought, as her eyes then closed and she fell into unconsciousness, whispering, "…didn't kill him," before slumping into Kurama's arms.

A/N: Not to look like I'm begging of anything, but please please, please, please, review! I think that might be the problem behind my lack of updates, heh heh! So if your feeling charitable, leave me one – any and all comments, praise and criticism welcomed and loved!


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